Posts tagged Track Work

Metro is planning to shut down the six Yellow and Blue Line stations south of National Airport for 100 days next summer, which certainly won’t be easy. The agency estimates the shutdown will impact 17,000 riders. WMATA is planning on running four shuttle bus routes between the affected stations, and is working with local partners to beef up existing routes. Keep reading…

This weekend, Faiz Siddiqui at the Washington Post reported that the WMATA Board had not seen, discussed, or devised a plan to reverse the dangerous drop in ridership on both the train and bus. Wednesday, he got just such a plan, a 26-page document which WMATA's planning and performance departments had created five months ago. Keep reading…

Metro is one week away from reducing service on the Orange, Silver, and Blue lines by up to 80% for two weeks, beginning August 11 and ending on the 26th. Riders will want to figure out now how they will get around the trackwork before it starts up next week. Keep reading…

Orange and Silver line trains will run at late-night hours all day, and Blue Line trains will end at Arlington Cemetery for 16 days in August. A temporary bus lane will help move MetroExtra G9 buses while Rhode Island and Brookland stations on the Red Line are closed from July 21 to September 3. Keep reading…

When Metro needs extra time to perform track work, the agency routinely uses late-night hours before the system closes to begin single-tracking. But on weeknights when rail service can be cut as early as 8 pm, the agency does not create and maintain schedules so passengers know when and where trains should be so they can get home on time. Keep reading…

In our previous reporting, we wrote that the Rhode Island Avenue station would be shut down for 44 days “to allow a contractor to perform a large amount of work: replacing all the concrete ceiling tiles, track deck slabs, platform supports, track deck edges, and more.” Some digging reveals that Metro is taking advantage of the closure to work on repairs that weren't adequately completed during a previous SafeTrack shutdown. Keep reading…

Michael Davis, General Superintendent of Track and Structures at Metro, is departing the agency “to pursue other opportunities.” His position will temporarily be filled by Leroy Jones, Assistant Director of Plant Maintenance. Keep reading…

Metro plans to close the Medical Center and Bethesda stations for four weekends starting July 15th for a tunnel waterproofing project. Trains will also single-track between Medical Center and Friendship Heights at nighttime for a month beginning 9pm every weekday between July 10 and August 11. If this project is successful, it could mean more closures but also, eventually, fewer leaks and a more reliable Red Line. Keep reading…

On Thursday, Metro announced that three sections of Green, Red, and Yellow Line tracks will shut down for up to 15 days between August 2017 and May 2018 so that crews can perform trackwork. The shutdowns indicate that Metro may be shifting how it approaches track maintenance, going from using single-tracking and overnight maintenance that can mean drawing things out to simply shutting and getting a job done all at once. Keep reading…

On Wednesday, WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld unveiled “Back2Good,” his road map for getting trains running safely and reliably during 2017. There isn’t all that much by way of new information— most of the efforts the plan mentions are already underway— but it does group ongoing projects together so it’s easier to understand what Metro is up to and verify that it’s… Keep reading…

After hearing strong opposition to his plans to cut late-night Metro service, WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld and his team have been opening up about the system’s maintenance needs. They’re making a strong case for why Metro needs a lot more downtime for track work — both at nights and through periodic weekend single-tracking and shutdowns, which will have to continue… Keep reading…

SafeTrack’s biggest shutdown is just about here: for 25 days, from October 29th through November 22nd, Red Line trains won’t run between the NoMa-Gallaudet and Fort Totten stations. If you use the Red Line at all, regardless of where in the system, you can expect fewer trains, delays on the ones that come, and lots of crowding. Keep reading…

Metro has fallen and it can’t get up. That’s the reality facing riders, agency staff, local officials, and the WMATA Board of Directors. In yet another slap at riders, Metro is proposing service cuts to allow for the the work time necessary to fix the system. But will it make a difference?
Keep reading…

Last week, WMATA reported that one way to close its budget gap could be to close 20 Metro stations outside of rush hour, including seven that serve DC communities that are east of the Anacostia River. Moving forward with this idea would make it far harder for children to get to schools and for adults to access social and political life in the District. It could be a major civil rights violation,… Keep reading…

Metro has a trust problem that’s impeding the agency’s ability to fix its decaying rail system. Riders and city officials don’t believe the agency’s proposed permanent cuts are necessary. To solve this one way or another, Metro must regain rider trust by precisely reporting exactly what its rebuilding needs are, and whether efforts thus… Keep reading…

I broke up with Metro last month. I used to commute from Montgomery County to the Navy Yard area every day, typically by the Red and Green lines with a transfer at Fort Totten. SafeTrack work on my section of the Red Line sent me looking around for alternatives. Driving was never an option, so I landed on MARC’s Brunswick Line plus Capital Bikeshare. I realize I’m… Keep reading…